Joel Osteen: I’m Still A Bigot

October 5, 2011

It’s sad that Piers Morgan can discuss interpretation with ‘Pastor’ Osteen for two minutes and make the most salient point. It’s even sadder that supposed scholars and pastors have a similar view to Osteen without much more nuance.

The man is a vacuous smile with no training whatsoever. It should alarm you if your theology aligns with his.

Joel is keen to say, “What the scripture says… what the scripture says…” Well, what does the Scripture say? “Love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev. 19:18) “Let love be your highest goal.” (1 Cor. 14:1) “You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:21-24)

Yes, the “secular” TV interviewer shows more insight than the huckster, I mean, gregarious religious guru. It really does come down to how one chooses to interpret reality; either from a compassionate, easygoing and accepting frame of reference (ala Jesus), or a fearful, phony, and ultimately self-condemning one (as in much organized – and for earthly gain – religion).

Nor was Jesus in any way easygoing and accepting. The man (purportedly) threatened his enemies and doubters and the “lukewarm” with an eternity of torture and pain.

I think agnostics, atheists, skeptics, and even liberal Christians need to stop pushing the “Jesus was good” meme…because the Biblical Jesus was not particularly good in any way. He said a few nice mild platitudes, but…

“Purportedly” is probably the key word here. Only fundamentalists take Jesus’s parables literally in spite of their obviously metaphorical character, and their meaning has been interpreted in hundreds of ways over the centuries by those with less rigid theology. Of course, if you believe what fundamentalists say about Jesus, surely you take their word on other people as well–in which case President Obama is the antichrist, Michele Bachmann is both godly and smart, and Stephen Colbert is right up there with Glenn Beck among idiot right-wing pundits.

“He said a few nice mild platitudes.” That’s a rather daft thing to say. There weren’t exactly a ton of people lining up to challenge the systems of wealth and poverty that had a death grip on the era.

Those who rejected Jesus’ way of radical compassion in favor of arbitrary and punitive religion received his harshest criticism. But he lauded the simple, genuine faith of those scorned, rejected and labeled as “sinners” by the establishment. It’s all in the Bible.